Presently, most solar collectors for hot water heating in residential and industrial applications include rigid frames (usually metal) with a conductive absorber plate having attached fluid conduits or a double plate absorber having internal fluid passages, plus glazing, gaskets, etc. to enclose the absorber within the frame.
Flat plate collectors have the inherent ability to absorb indireect solar rays, for example during partially cloudy weather or days with thin cirrus type clouds, and are usually installed in arrays on rooftops with fixed slopes, or on framework with fixed slopes mounted on flat roofs of commercial buildings and factories. When arrays are mounted at ground level, fixed slopes are used.
For low temperature fluid heating, parabolic concentrating collectors are not preferred since they require direct sunlight and changes in the mountng angle to keep solar rays focused on the fluid absorber pipe due to seasonal changes in the solar angle.
Primarily because of weight, flat plate collectors are installed with fixed slope.
For higher solar insolation, frames to adjust for angular orientation and its beneficial effect on the amount of solar heat collected are well known, but present practice avoids adjustable framework for flat plate or concentrating designs at the expense of higher system efficiency.
This invention addresses reasons the prime reason for avoiding adjustable frames, etc., by using lightweight, inexpensive corrugated  paperboard materials and folding techniques to construct a concentrating collector suitable for mounting multiple collector panels in arrays that are pivotable and isolated from building surfaces.
The instant collector defines conduit arrangements that minimize external conduit connections all in the quest for lower panel and system installation costs to make solar heat more competive with conventional fuels for heating water.
Prior art, U.S. Pat. No. 4,190,037 describes use of corrugated material for reflector surface supports but fails to anticipate use and folding of extended side panels to provide positioning and retention means for the supports. Patent '037 also describes fluid manifolds for only parallel flow but does not anticipate the unique advantages of absorber pipe connections for serial flow and the reduction in number of couplings needed to complete an array while the frame is still adjustable.
The instant collector relies on the same operating principles as '037 and is an improvement thereof by defining a fabricated blank that folds into a collector panel having integral inside walls with vertical slots that locate and retain the parabolic supports and thus eliminates the separately molded frames and the additional components required by '037.
With the above and other objectives in view, more information and understanding of the invention and its use for supplemental heating of fluids may be achieved by reference to the detailed description hereinafter. 